6 Sunday, August 6

Proposed ordinance would allow Wichita police chief to suspend business licenses for bars, clubs

2023-08-06T23:15:50-05:00August 6th, 2023|

A new ordinance the Wichita City Council will consider on Tuesday would allow the Wichita police chief to suspend business licenses for bars and clubs. According to the City of Wichita, the ordinance would create consistent criteria for the suspension of licenses at bars and other businesses that sell alcohol. The filing says the ordinance would address deficiencies by adding provisions that allow the chief of police to immediately suspend a license when violent criminal conduct occurs to the extent there is a credible safety risk to the public if the business remains open. Source: KSN-TV

6 Sunday, August 6

What these new Kansas road signs mean

2023-08-06T23:14:24-05:00August 6th, 2023|

Drivers along four Kansas roads have noticed new yellow signs recently. The sign message is "Safety Corridor -- Increased Enforcement," and the ultimate goal is to reduce crashes. The Kansas Department of Transportation says the Safety Corridor Pilot Program is new and will run through 2028. KDOT chose four corridors for the pilot program based on crash history, availability of additional law enforcement, and input from local traffic safety partners. Source: KSN-TV

6 Sunday, August 6

Lawrence releases final site design for pallet shelter village

2023-08-06T23:10:50-05:00August 6th, 2023|

Lawrence leaders have finalized the site design for a pallet shelter village to address homelessness in the city. The shelter will be located at 256 N. Michigan St., just south of Interstate 70 west of the Kansas River. The city plans to create 50 pallet shelters that are each 64 square feet. Each cabin will have heating and cooling. The village will also have shared restrooms, showers, laundry and office space, plus bike and vehicle parking. The final design also shows a community tent area and a proposed fence line. Supporters have previously said the village is a key piece in [...]

6 Sunday, August 6

KU launches plan to address nursing shortage; Hospital nursing vacancies peak

2023-08-06T23:07:41-05:00August 6th, 2023|

As hospitals struggle to recruit nurses and the demand for nursing heightens, the University of Kansas is starting a new initiative to tackle the mounting healthcare labor issue in Kansas. The university's School of Nursing is forming a new center that will address shortages of nurses and nursing faculty in Kansas. The university's announcement comes as Kansas hospitals are coping with their highest vacancy rates for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in more than 20 years. Source: Sunflower State Journal

6 Sunday, August 6

Lawrence City Commission’s first meeting with consent agenda change is Tuesday; here’s what the change looks like

2023-08-06T23:04:14-05:00August 6th, 2023|

Members of the public no longer have the option to pull most items from the Lawrence City Commission’s consent agenda. There’s one item on Tuesday’s agenda that can be pulled. The consent agenda is a long list of items that are generally approved in one motion unless a commissioner or member of the public asks to pull something for discussion. Under a change commissioners approved last week, community members may only pull certain items that are designated as “quasi-judicial.” Deputy City Attorney Randy Larkin said last week that this distinction typically includes items where the commission is asked to apply city [...]

6 Sunday, August 6

Riley County presented with survey results for proposed 4-day work week

2023-08-06T23:02:02-05:00August 6th, 2023|

Riley County Public Information Officer Vivienne Leyva presented commissioners Thursday with results of a July public survey, regarding a potential switch to a 4 day, 40 hour work week. Leyva spoke about the first question on the survey. Close to 2,000 respondents took the survey, with greater than half saying the new schedule would make Riley County offices more accessible for them. Question 2 asked preference for extended hours to conduct business. About 22 percent of digital respondents to the survey said visiting early morning or late evening would be better, with a small amount preferring evenings. Source: 1350 KMAN

4 Friday, August 4

Moundridge City Administrator Murray McGee has announced that he is stepping down; becoming CEO of INK

2023-08-08T07:46:01-05:00August 4th, 2023|

Moundridge City Administrator, Murray McGee has announced that he is stepping down September 1st after 8 years with the City. McGee has accepted the Chief Executive Officer position with the Information Network of Kansas. INK is a public/private partnership charged by the Legislature with expanding the amount and type of Kansas government information available to the public. ... The City Council are starting immediately to conduct a search for a new Administrator. Mayor Kevin Schmidt thanked McGee for his service and expressed his confidence in the City staff who are stepping up to help with the transition during this period. Source: [...]

4 Friday, August 4

City of Wichita has given out over $100k in rebates

2023-08-08T07:46:10-05:00August 4th, 2023|

On Jan. 10, the Wichita City Council approved $100,000 in rebates for citizens who have bought water- and energy-efficient devices in 2023. That number was increased to $125,000 on July 5, as the City Council approved additional funds if the $100,000 was exhausted before Oct. 31. City officials say so far, the City of Wichita has approved rebates for 1,242 water-efficient devices, totaling $112,960.06. The Lawn Care Rebate Program is intended to lower the use of gas and diesel-powered lawn equipment and provides a $50 rebate for residents who purchase new non-combustion lawn equipment and recycle their old combustion equipment. City officials say [...]

4 Friday, August 4

Home sales are down in Kansas, but you can still expect to pay more in Wichita

2023-08-08T07:46:20-05:00August 4th, 2023|

Homebuyers in Wichita should expect to navigate a “very competitive” market, according to one real estate site, even as sales slump statewide compared to last year. Tight inventory has driven prices up in many areas and contributed to a seller’s market. Wichita’s median home listing price is $275,000 as of June, which is a 14.6% increase from last year, real estate site Realtor.com reports. Average Wichita homes were selling for about 3% above asking price in June, and most homes are selling after about 28 days on the market. The average home value in Wichita was $186,579 in June, according to the Zillow [...]

4 Friday, August 4

Kingman power outages bring community together

2023-08-04T11:02:04-05:00August 4th, 2023|

Power outages hit large parts of Kingman during the hottest part of the day yesterday and the day before, but the incidents have only brought the community closer together. The outages hit most of the northwestern part of the city, which is where Julie Wollen lives. She was coming home from work with her husband Tuesday when she noticed something was off. "We came into the house, I'm like, 'It's warm in here,'" Wollen said. "My husband's like, 'Well, it's 103 degrees out,' and I'm like, 'Well, we have no power." The City set up a cooling center for affected residents and [...]

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